Disney Reportedly Invested $100M in Disney Infinity

While game development budgets are usually kept rather secretive, a new report indicates Disney may have spent upwards of $100 million in the creation and development of Disney Infinity.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the upcoming collectible toy video game had a budget akin to a major motion picture release. That kind of investment doesn't come without some risk though, as there is quite a bit riding on the success of Disney Infinity.

"If 'Infinity' does well, it bodes very well for the bottom line of this unit," Disney chief Bob Iger told the WSJ earlier this year. "If it doesn't do well, the opposite will be the case." That unit he's referring to is Disney Interactive. Should the anticipated game flop, there's a chance Disney would focus its efforts on mobile games, with big titles being licensed out to other developers.

Just what Disney's executives will consider a solid return on that massive investment remains to be seen. We've already seen titles like Tomb Raider dubbed a miss by its publisher after it failed to meet expectations, despite being this highest-selling title in franchise history. A budget of $100 million is a lot to recoup, but if the game takes off, that investment could be returned quickly.